Single-diaphragm gas-meter.



A. HENNING, SINGLE DIAPHRAGM GAS METER.

AYPLIGATION FILED MAR. 11, 1909v 952, 806 I Patented Mar. 22, 1910.

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. APPLICATION FILED MAB-11, 1909. 952,806. Patent-ed M1222, 1910.

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motion 4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABEL HENNING, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIG -NOB, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO LOS ANGELES METER COMPANY, OF LOS-ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ACORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

To all whom it-may concern:

Be it known that I. Anni. HENNING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles. in the county of Les-.Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented a 'new and useful Single-Diaphragm Gas-\Ieter,of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to produce a gas meter having a minimumnumber of parts and maximum capacity for measuring gas, and also beingless liable to get out of repair and being more readily and more cheaplyrepaired than former meters.

The meter is adapted to be incased in the ordinary so-called square tinmeter case of.

the common type of so-called tin meter, the case of a five-light meterof the old type being of sufiieient size for a twenty-light meter ofthis type; that is to say, the-capacity of a meter constructed inaccordance with this invention ismore than four times that of a At thesame time the cost of constructing such twenty-light meter is notgreater than the cost of constructing a three-light meter of the oldtype.

'Other objects and various advantages may appear from the subjoineddetailed descrip- The invention may be constructed in various formswithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a sectional plan viewed from line :0, Fig. 2. F ig.'2 is afront sectional elevation showing the operative parts of the meter, thefront face of the case being re-' moved. The view is ,fron1.line 0:",Fig; 3. F g. 3 is a sectional elevation viewed om line 420 Figs. 1 and2, looking to the left.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan from line :20, Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 5 is anelevation from line :11, Fig. 6. Fig. 6 1s a plan partly in section Fig.7 is a broken fragmental perspective detail. of the reversingmechanism.- Fig. Sis a sectional perspective detail of the connectionbetween the flagwire and the'reversing lever. Fig. 9 is aperspectivewiew of the meter, a portion of the case bein broken away toexpose the c011- parts.

tween the flag-wire and other Fig. 10 is a kinematic diagram ofthereversing apparatus. Fig. 11, Sheet 1,

SINGLE-DIAPHRAGM GAS- METER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented D131. 22, 1910. Applicationfiled March 11 1909. Serial No. 482,850.

is a detail of the valve check segment and its -through out except atthe inlet-pipe 2 and outlet-pipe 3, andis divided interiorly by agallery-plate. 4-. into the inlet-chamber 5 and the diaphragm-chamber 6.The inlet-pipe. 2 opens into the inlet-chamber 5 through two ports 7, 8,above the gallery-plate4; the lower end of said .pipe below said ports 7and 8-being closed by a floor 9. The ports 7 and 8 are between thebody-of the pipe 2 and awall .of the 1 case 1. and are so arranged as toprevent tampering with the mechanism of the meter by means of anyinstrument inserted through the inlet-pipe 2.

The meter is provided with only one diaphragm 10 which is of the sameconstruction Y16; on which seat is mounte a hollow valveslide or cover17 capable of simultaneously covering and connecting either the ports 1eand 15 or the ports 15 and 16, The port 14 commun cates bet-ween theinlet-chamber 5 and the diaphragm-chamberfi so:as to deliver gas to theoutside of the diaphragm which is inside said chamber 6. The ort 16communicates between the inlet-chamber 5 and the inside of the diaphragml0 throughpipe 18. The p0rt 15 communicates through pipe 19 with'theoutlet-pipe The valve-slide 17 is mounted on a. rod 20 carried bybearings 21, 22; all of'whlch is customary with the former two-diaphragmmeter, exceptmghowever, that there is more leather in the flexibl walls23 of the dlaphragm 1O thai1' has heretofore been usualwith diaphraginsof like diameter, thus to allow the diaphragm-disk 24 to oscillate withgreater. amplitude toward and from the diaphragm-ring 11 so'that moregas is discharged at each oscillation.

- The diaphragmdisk 24: is connected by a ivot 26 with a connecting link27 which is iiinged' at 28 to an arm 29 of the ,flag-wire'30 wheelthrough t e train.

so that the connection between the dia-' phragm and the flag-wire isdoubly jointed or hinged, thus to allow greater extension'of thediaphragm the disk moving in a straight path back and forth. Theflag-wire is pivo ted at its upper and lower ends .in the usual mannerso as to oscillate in response to the movement of the diaphragm-disk.

The U-shaped disk-guide-wire31is provided with two rigid collars 32 and33 to bear against the guide-wire-posts 34, 35, so that the arms of theguide-wire 31 which pass through the disk-guides 36, 37, will be heldtrue and will prevent the disk from moving edgewise so that the disk isalways held truly centered. I The Ha -wire 30 is connected with thevalve-sli e 17 by mechanism adapted to move the valve from one to theother side of the-valve-seat 13 and vice versa'at the close of themovements of the diaphragm-disk in one and. the other direction. Theflagv wire 30 extknds from the diaphragm-chamber 6 through astufiing-box 38 .into the inletchamber 5, and is there provided with aflag-wire-arm 39 which is connected by a pivot 40 with the fla -wire-arn.-link 41 which in turn is pivoted y a pivot 42 to one arm of .aspring-operating lever 43, which is sw'iveled on a post 44 provided atits base with a flange 45 which is fixed by suitable means to thegallery-plate 4.

A b'ell cran lever 46 is swiveled on the post 44 and is rovided with twoarms 47,

48, the latter-o which is provided with a toothed segment 49 adapted toenga e a gear" 50 of a train 51, 52, 53, by which a alancewheel 54 isdriven at each operation, of the diaphragm in either direction. Aloopspring 55 is connected at one end by a pivot 56 to one arm of thelever'43j, and is. connect ed by a pivot 57 with the outerarm 47Jof thebell crank 46*.

58 is a ri 'd guard rigidly'conneeted at one end wit thereb when thesprin cient owe to operate t e valve; a part of such force bein storedup in the balance The segment 49 is connected with the valve-rod 20 by alink 59 that" is pivotedto the segment by-apivot60 and tofthe valve-4.

rod by a pivot 61. The rigid spring-guard 58 serves in ameasure asa'stop for the valve.

62 is a spring for limiting the movement of the segment, andconsequently also serving.as a'stop for the valve. Th1sIs'pring 62 isarranged beneathflthe segment 49 and is bowed upward "aslant at itsends'a's shown at 63 and 64 in Fig; 11, acrossthe paths of the ends ofthe-segment 49 so that as the segment passes over theiniddle of the'sprin it is free to, 'move" without impediment irom the spring and alsowithout impediment from one end of the spring 55 and extending aroundsaid spring to be engaged.

hasexerted sufiithespring-guard 58, but as it approaches the end of itsmovement it engages one or the other of the slanting spring surfaces 63and 64 and is thereby "impeded, pressing the and in the other instance,to uncover the port 16 and conneotlports 14 and 15 with each other andvseparate them from the inletchamber 6. 4 I

The levers 43 and 46 andt-he pivots 56and 57 are so located relative toeach other that when the lever 43 is at rest in the position tb-whichthe flag-wire-arm 39 .moves at the 'close of the movement of the diaphramdisk in one or the other direction, a ine drawn from the pivotal point56 to the center of the 0st 44 will be at one side of the pivot 57 t atconnects the valve-0 crating spring 55 andt-he arm'47, so that t etendency-oi the spring will then be to force the segment in onedirection, and when the lever 43' is swung tothe-otherside by 'theflag-wire 30 on the reverse movement of the diaphra '-.disk, the ivotal'point 56 is swung 0nd a pro uced strai ht line drawn through the ivot.57 and. t e center of the 1post 44,-andt e tension ofthespring '55 wiltheother direction. This will be understood be exerted to move thesegment in by reference to thediagra-mmatic Fig. 10.

In" ractical'operation,"when the lever 43 is shi 'tobrin'g the; pivot56' acrossthe line that intersects the pivot 57 and post 44, the springoperatesto move-the segment and thus to, move the valve. Thehtension ofthe sprin at the outset or such movement is eater tan at-any other timeduring suc movement, and. in order to apply the ,"forces satisfactorilyto reve'nt jarring and wavering of thevalve .t e force at; first appliedby the-spring is partially taken up, by

riv'i'ng the, train of. gears andthe balancewheel, and the'force'thusstored in the -bal= "an'ce-whe'el is subsequently exerted to .carrythe-segment to the endof its course where it is. gradually stop ed .byengaging the spring 62 and is finaly. brought to a positlve standstillby the stops 65.01 66, as the case maybe, at the ends of said.- 3 ring..1

The post' 44'rnay be detachab y fastened to the gallery-plate 4 byscrews67, 68, that are screwed through the flange into a plate 69 thatmay be sol ered to the gallery-plate.

The screw 68 may alsoserve to hold the.

spring 62 in place.

In order'to accurately the flag-wireproper position the washer 71 issoldered fast both to the flag-wire and ,to the flagwire-arm. By thisarrangement a large soldered surface is provided so that the danger ofdisconnecting the fiag-wire-arm from the flagqvire is minimized.

The flag-wire 30 is adjust-ably connected with the mechanism of theindex 73. This is done by means which shall now be described.

H is a rigid threaded arm fixed to the flag-wire 30 and may be integralwith the flag-wire-arm 39. Between two nuts 75, 76' on the arm 74 ismounted a head 77 having a rigid arm 78 thereon which may be integraltherewith or may be fixed thereto by a rivet 79. -Said arm is providedwith a. pivot 80 by which a link 81 is pivoted to the arm. Said'linkis-pivoted to one arm 82 of a rock-shaft 83 that passes through astuffing-box 84 in the wall of the case to communicate motion throu hthe other arm 85 of the rock-shaft and the index-link 86, index le'ver8'7, pawls 88, 89, ratchet-wheel 90 and index-shaft 91; said lever 87bein pivoted to thecase by the pivot 92,- an said pawls being held inengagement with the wheel 90 by a spring 93 carried by the post 94 onsaid pawl-lever 87 to which the pawls 88 and"89 are pivoted by pivots95, 96. The pivot- 80 of the head 77 is adjustable toward and from theproduced axis of the flag-wire 30 by adjusting the nuts 75, 76, on thescrew: stem 74. As the pivot 80 moves from said produced axis the motionof the rock-shaft S3 is increased, thus increasing the movement of theindex. A reverse movement of the pivot 80 will decrease the movement ofthe index as the tie -wire,tnrns responsive to the diaphragm. -n thismanner an accurate adjustment between the diaphragm and theindex-mechanism ma be secured so that in testing the meter, if 1t isfound that the same registers less than it should the head 77 maybemoved awayvfromthfe flag-wire so that each time the flag-wire turns: itwill 1 cause a. greater movement of the index, and

vice versa.

I claim v M p 1. In a 'meter, the combination with the fiag-w1re-arm, ofa. 1e"ver, .a.link. con-. necting the fiag-wire ar'mwiththe lever,

mechamsin for operating the meter-valve, and a sprmg forming: connectionbetween said lever and said valve-operating mechanism, said spring beingarranger to be placed under tension by the movement of 'said lever atthe-close of the movement of the flagw'ire-arm to operate said valve infirst one and then in the other direction.

2. Ina gas meter, the combination with the fiag-wire-arm, of a pivotedlever, a link connecting the arm with one end of said lever, abell-crank, a spring connecting the other-end of said lever with one armof said bell-crank, a valve, a link connecting the other arm of saidbell-crank with said valve, the spring forming a flexible connectionpivoted to the lever and the bell-crank and arranged to operate thebell-crank in one direction at the close of the movement of the lever inthe opposite direction, and vice versa. v

3. In a gas meter, the combination with the flag-wire and the metervalve, of yielding -means operable by the flag-wire and adapted tooperate the valve in one and the other direction at the close of themovement of the flag-wire in one and the other direction respectively,and a balance-wheel operable by said yielding means and adapted tocontinue the movement of the valve after the yielding means has ceasedto act.

4. In a gas meter, the combination with a meter-valve and a pivotedflag-wire, of a lever, means operably connecting the lever with theflag-wire, a spring operable by said lever in first one and then inanother direction, means 0 erated by said spring in one and anotherdirection as the lever moves to operate the sprin and a link connectingsaid spring-opera? means with the meterv-alve.

5. In a gas meter, the combination with a flag-wire, ofa lever connectedtherewith, a springoperable by said lever in first one an then inanother direction,-means operated by said spring in one and anotherdirection as the lever moves tofoperate the same, a link connecting saidspring-operated means with the meter-valve a rack on said springoperatedmeans, a ba ance wheel, and a tram 0 wheels between the rack and thebalancewheel to transmit motionbetween said rack and the balance-wheel,and vice versa.

6; In a s'meter, a valve, a-link to operate theva ve, pivoted means tooperate the link, means to operate said pivoted means Y 7., In a" asmeter, a. .valve, a'l'ink'to operate the va ve, pivoted means to operatethelink, means to' ope'rate said, pivotedmeans first in one and then theotherdire'ction, a. spring to 'eldingly stop said'pivoted means 7 at theon of its movement in one and; the

other direction, and a ba-lanee-wheelo'per- Its movement in oneCorrections in Letters Patent No. 952,806.

atively connected with said ivoted means to store up power appliedtiereto andt-o apply such power to complete the movement for closing thevalve inseither direction. i

8. Ina gas meter, the combination of a meter-valve, with a diaphragm toone and the'other side of which as is supplied alternately through saidva ve, a spr1ng,alink connected with the valve, pivoted means connectingthe link and one end of the spring, means operably connectin vthe otherend of the spring with the diap ragm and adapted to move the spring intoposltion to operate said pivoted meansin first one and then .the otherdirection thereb to move the valve in one and the-other irection, andmeans for receiving power from said pivoted means at its initialmovement in one direction and to apply power thereto at the close of themovementinsuch direction, and vice versa.

9. Ina gas meter, the combination with a meter-valve, of a diaphragm 'toone and the [snark] ower thereto at the close of the movement. -1n suchdirection, and vice versa, and yielding means to stop the pivoted meansat the end of its movement in one and the other Y direction.

' In testimony whereof, I havehere'nnto set my hand at Los Angeles,California, this 1st day of March 19Q9.

- ABEL HENNING.

In presence of- JAMES R. TOWNSEND,

WM. SCI-nuns.

' It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 952,806, grantedMarch 22, 1910, upon-the application of Ahel Henning, of Los Angeles,California, for an improvement in Single-Diaphragm Gals-Meters, errorsappear in the printed specification requiring correctionas follows: Page1, line 16. before the word tin the word square should inserted; page 4,line 6, the word of should read with, and line 7, the word with shouldiead'o and the name of the second witness to the signature of theSpecification should read Wm.' Schade instead of- Wm. Schrade; and, thatthesaid Letters Patent should be read with these corrections thereinthat the same may conform the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

. Signed and sealed thislOth day of May, A. D., 1910.

c. c. BILLINGS, Acm of Patents.

Corrections in Letters Patent No. 952,806.

atively connected with said ivoted means to store up power appliedtiereto andt-o apply such power to complete the movement for closing thevalve inseither direction. i

8. Ina gas meter, the combination of a meter-valve, with a diaphragm toone and the'other side of which as is supplied alternately through saidva ve, a spr1ng,alink connected with the valve, pivoted means connectingthe link and one end of the spring, means operably connectin vthe otherend of the spring with the diap ragm and adapted to move the spring intoposltion to operate said pivoted meansin first one and then .the otherdirection thereb to move the valve in one and the-other irection, andmeans for receiving power from said pivoted means at its initialmovement in one direction and to apply power thereto at the close of themovementinsuch direction, and vice versa.

9. Ina gas meter, the combination with a meter-valve, of a diaphragm 'toone and the [snark] ower thereto at the close of the movement. -1n suchdirection, and vice versa, and yielding means to stop the pivoted meansat the end of its movement in one and the other Y direction.

' In testimony whereof, I havehere'nnto set my hand at Los Angeles,California, this 1st day of March 19Q9.

- ABEL HENNING.

In presence of- JAMES R. TOWNSEND,

WM. SCI-nuns.

' It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 952,806, grantedMarch 22, 1910, upon-the application of Ahel Henning, of Los Angeles,California, for an improvement in Single-Diaphragm Gals-Meters, errorsappear in the printed specification requiring correctionas follows: Page1, line 16. before the word tin the word square should inserted; page 4,line 6, the word of should read with, and line 7, the word with shouldiead'o and the name of the second witness to the signature of theSpecification should read Wm.' Schade instead of- Wm. Schrade; and, thatthesaid Letters Patent should be read with these corrections thereinthat the same may conform the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

. Signed and sealed thislOth day of May, A. D., 1910.

c. c. BILLINGS, Acm of Patents.

Corrections in Letters Patent No. 952,806.

It i herein rertih'ml that in Letters Patent No. 352.806. granted March22, 1910, upon the upplivation of Abel Henning, of Los Angelen,California, for an improvement in Single-Diaphragm Gas-Meters," errorsappear in the printed specification requiring vorrovtion as follows:Page 1, line 16 before the word *tin" the word .w mrrw should heinserted; page 4, line 6, the word of should read with, and line 7,

the word with should read of; and the name of the sevonrl witness to thesignature of the specification should read Wm. Rc/aade instead of Wm.Sohradef and that the said Letters Patent should be read with thesecorrections therein that the same mny conform to the record of the casein the Patent ()ffiee.

Signed and sealed this 10th day of May, A. D., 1910.

C. C. BILLINGS, Acting Uommissioner of Patents.

[SEAL i

